European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 10, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday june 10, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 19 More proof that politics drove Vietnam policy Anthony Lewis Henry Kissinger the former Secretary of state has taken exception to a recent column of mine. It noted that 20,492 americans died in Vietnam while he and Richard Nixon made policy on the War in the years 1969-72. It quoted . Haldeman a diaries As saying that on dec. 15, 1970, Kissinger objected to an Early peace initiative because there might be bad results before the 1972 election. In a letter to the editor of the new York times Kissinger said the column had pounced a on a single entry in 600 pages of the diaries to show that a president Nixon a Vietnam policy was driven by electoral politics.�?�. A single entry a few pages later in the diaries there is another. On dec. 21, 1970, Haldeman recorded Kissinger a opposing an Early commitment to withdraw All . Combat troops a because he feels that if we pull them out by the end of 71, trouble can Start mounting in 72 that we wont be Able to Deal with and which Well have to answer for at the elections. A the prefers instead a commitment to have them All out by the end of 72 so that we wont have to deliver finally until after the elections and therefore can keep our flanks protected a and another. On Jan. 26,1971, Kissinger discussed plans for a a major assault on Laos a which he thought would devastate North Vietnam a military capability. The Laos operation turned out to be a costly failure a this new action in Laos now a Haldeman wrote a would set us up so we have to worry about problems in �?T72, and that of course is the most of course. The overpowering reality in the Nixon White House As so meticulously recorded by Haldeman was that what mattered about any proposed policy was its Likely political effect. Kissinger was opposed to publication of the Hal deman diaries and it is easy to see Why on Vietnam the Public wanted withdrawal of american soldiers from a War it increasingly hated. But Nixon had repeatedly said he would not be a the first american president to lose a the political solution was to withdraw gradually leaving South vietnamese forces to carry on the War. No one could seriously expect them to withstand for Long an. Army that had fought 500,000 americans to a standstill. But the inevitable might be delayed and a formula agreed with North Vietnam to let the United slates claim a peace with Kissinger complained in his letter about the statement in my column that the United states could have gotten out of the War in 1969, before those 20,492 american deaths in the same Way it finally did in 1973 on terms that led before Long to a North vietnamese Victory. Until the end Kissinger wrote the North vietnamese insisted that a peace agreement remove the Nguyen Van Thieu regime in South Vietnam. It was Only at the negotiating session of oct. 8, 1972, that they dropped that Point a and agreement followed. True. But it is a half truth leaving out the crucial fact. North Vietnam dropped the idea of a change of government in Saigon Only when Kissinger acquiesced in its key demand that its forces be allowed to remain permanently in the South. Thieu saw that Concession As a death sentence for his government and he strongly opposed the peace agreement. He was bitter at Kissinger for concealing the terms from him until after they were settled indeed deceiving him about the possibility of serious new . Negotiating positions. Who knows what might have happened if the Nixon administration had made that crucial change in . Policy in 1969, conceding the right of Hanoi a forces to stay in the South Hanoi might Well Haye abandoned As unnecessary the demand for political change in Saigon. In any event the end result would have been the same after 1969 As after 1972 a North vietnamese Victory. Nixon said in his memoirs that Kissinger had told him the 1972 peace agreement a amounted to a Complete capitulation by the enemy they were accepting a settlement on our two years later North vietnamese forces marched into Saigon. A fair test of Kissinger a claim would be to put it to the families and friends of the 20,492 americans who died in Vietnam during his years As policy maker. Would they think it was Worth four More years of War new York Timos kids must strive for that which they can t see a what you see a flip Wilson so a Geraldine character used to remind us a is what you the phrase was intended As a declaration of simple straightforwardness. No complications no hidden agendas no false airs what you see is what you get. But there is another meaning you cannot accomplish anything that is beyond your ability to imagine. A limited vision limits achievement because it limits Hope. If you can to see it a at least with your minds Eye a you can to get it. What you can see is what you get. Its this second meaning in be been thinking about nearly crying about a Ever since i read Ron Suskind a Page 1 Story in a recent Wall Street journal. The stars of Suskind a extraordinary piece Are Cedric Jennings a 16-year-old a student at Washington a Ballou High school with visions of a career As a scientist Phillip Atkins 17, the class Clown who has Learned not to be too smart and Delante Coleman a 17-year-old gang Leader whose a a Crew likes to harass the a goodies Quot like Cedric. There a drama in the journal account will Cedric win acceptance into a special Mit program will Phillip follow his academically determined sister or his Street Wise and school dumb Peers will Delante come to grips with the self doubts and frustrations that Are behind his harassment of Cedric. But there is also the pervasive sense of limited vision. Phillip As Bright As Cedric has Learned the lessons taught by his father done to aim too High and by his survival instinct a the Best Way to avoid trouble is to never get Alt the answers right on a test Quot. Delante is Bright too. As a Sophomore he scored above 12th Grade level nationally on the math portion of a standardized test making the same score As Cedric Butin school his last report included two Fps. In a statement that might have been crafted by a scriptwriter Delante explains his contempt for Cedric and the other a a goodies who study and strive for grades a everyone knows they re frying to be White get ahead in the White Many a world. In a Way that a a Lite bit of disrespect to the rest of i spent hours being angry with Delante a both for his assaults on the a goodies Quot and for wasting his own intelligence. But then 1 wanted to shale him awake plead with him explain to him that neither he nor the rest of us can afford for him to waste his intellectual gifts. The min drama Suskind captured at Ballou is being played in High schools and playgrounds and streets across America. Thousands of Young Black men and growing numbers of Young Black women As Well Are coming of age without the vision of a satisfying place for themselves in the world. The athletically gifted May dream of riches earned from professional sports the musically talented May picture themselves As top tier entertainers. But the academically gifted a unless they Are discovered by the likes of a better Chance or the Black student fund and sent off to prep school a have trouble William Raspberry seeing themselves As successful in a world where Intel Lect counts. A few like Cedric survive the anti intellectualism of their neighbourhoods though at a social Cost that must be stupendous. A handful of nerds weirdos or Gays draw strength and Freedom from their ostracism and allow themselves to see bigger things for themselves. But too Many Young people including some with tire potential to elevate themselves Rescue their families or change the world allow themselves to be dragged Down by the curse of Low expectations. Countless thousands succumb so completely to the curse that they imagine that they Are supposed to fail. Indeed some like Delante see the refusal to fail As a sort of racial treason. The question we need to answer is How to broaden the vistas of these hopeless children to gel them to see not just race based impediments but also Opportunity. After All they cannot strive for what they cannot see. A where there is no vision Quot says the Book of proverbs a the people True enough so is this a what you see is what you c washing Jon Post. A the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered us representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government
